“POVERTY AND TEARS”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 4 June 1938, Page 27

“POVERTY AND TEARS”

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —The report of Mr Semple’s remarks in your paper to-day was not at first recognised by me as being a “plea for a clean campaign,” as is suggested by your headline. What Mr Semple actually did was to prophesy that the campaign was going to be a "severe and dirty” one in which “ whispering campaigns, slander and vilifications and every conceivable trick ’’ were to be practised by Nationalist “ curs and reptiles in human shape,” led by the “ hardest of the bunch,” who deliberately “ caused tears and poverty ” to the people of New Zealand, and who, we are left to infer, are seeking power once more merely in order to do the same thing again. Still, I grant you that, of two adequate explanations of a man’s behaviour. the more charitable of the two is the more correct. I, therefore, accept the view that Mr Semple’? statement that “ fights ought to be clean fights in fundamental political principles ” should be described, along with the rest of his speech, as “a plea for a clean campaign.” It is his idea of an appeal for clean fighting. All good citizens will agree with the desirability of humanising political conflicts and clean fighting. But conflicts can onlv be humanised when political opponents preserve respect for the personality of their opponents, even though they differ from them radically in opinion. If Mr Semple can show that it is the policy of the National Party to “ cause poverty and tears to the people of New Zealand,” then his party should win at the polls. But if it can be shown that the aim of the Labour Party is the Socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the abolition of private enterprise, the Labour Party will not win: for New Zealand knows that the fulfilment of such a policy by the Labour Party will bring “ poverty and tears to the people of New Zealand.” If the campaign is to be clean, surely It cannot be made so by implying not that the result of the policy of one’s opponents will be “ poverty and tears. ’ but that their aim is to produce that result The political issue is which policy will bring “poverty and tears.” Will the assumption of dictatorial powers by Ministers, the socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange, and the abolition of private enterprise bring “poverty and tears.” or will the encouragement of private enterprise with adequate but no unnecessary restraint do most to protect New Zealand from “ poverty and tears ” ?

I would suggest to Mr Semple that when the public loses confidence in. and becomes suspicious of, a Government It is imposible to prevent altogether false rumours arising in a com-

munlty. Every opportunity is given in our community to scotch such rumours through anonymous letters to the press and by other means such as the exercise of the right to ask candidates questions at election times. Every other legitimate means should be taken to restrain such rumours. No doubt, however, Mr Semple’s apprehension of rumours has some justification, for, though rumours, if created by the uneducated, are false, the suspicion and lack of confidence that might give rise to them is certainly real in New Zealand. Confidence in the Labour Government has gone, and I suggest that one meaning of Mr Semple’s speech is that he realises the position.—l am. etc., Personal Respect.